Death Count Rises To 75 In Tripoli Car-bomb Explosion

BEIRUT, LEBANON — The number of casualties in a car-bomb explosion in the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli rose to 75 dead and more than 100 wounded, state-run Beirut radio reported Thursday.

The radio said that rescue work was continuing around the clock and that more victims were brought out Thursday from under the debris of a four-story building that was destroyed by the blast Wednesday.

The car-bomb explosion in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, was the worst such attack in Lebanon since a booby-trapped pickup truck exploded on a crowded street in predominantly Christian East Beirut last month, killing about 60 people. Several booby-trapped cars have exploded in Tripoli in the past several months.

The bomb went off Wednesday evening in a street in the port area where crowds were celebrating the end of the Moslem fast of Ramadan.

The explosion tore a hole six feet deep in the road and damaged buildings up to 100 yards away. A building with a crowded candy store took the full impact of the blast.

About 50 cars were set on fire and some were hurled into the street by the force of the blast. The booby-trapped car was carrying more than 200 pounds of explosives, police said.

Tripoli is in a Syrian-controlled area and in recent years has been the scene of frequent clashes between those who support and oppose the Syrians.